Acme Bar & Grill

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There are certain things that parents are obligated to give their children if their parents don’t provide them. One of those things is cornbread, one of the great joys of life. Everyone loves cornbread; even notoriously picky eaters. It’s sweet and it’s buttery and it temporarily makes everything perfect. Acme brings hot, fresh cornbread to your table immediately after you sit down, and then, once you’ve become putty in their hands, they serve up solid, unpretentious Cajun food in a casual environment.

Contact no: (212) 420-1934

Location: 9 Great Jones Street, New York, NY 10012

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Bamn! Automat

Since 1912, the Automat was a nosh haven for busy, hungry New Yorkers. Offering ready-made, simple snacks like sandwiches and hamburgers for those who didn’t have time to wait for their food (or even coffee) to be prepared, Automats were as big a part of daily life as the Subway and the New York Times. With the subsequent advent of fast food, the automat’s popularity dwindled, and sadly, the last automat in New York City closed in 1991. Fifteen years later, BAMN! decided to give the automat its due renaissance, and offers you and your children a chance to experience a slice of old New York along with a slice of pizza. Freshly made food is dispensed through coin-operated machines, just like the automats of yore, only with new and modern twists on American favorites like batter dipped macaroni and cheese and teriyaki miniburgers. Even though a nickel can’t buy you a sandwich anymore, the BAMN! is still cheap fun.

Contact no: (888) 400-2266

Location: 37 St. Mark’s Place, New York, NY 10003

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A Salt & Battery

For kids whose experience with seafood may be limited to low-grade haddock we present A Salt & Battery. Fish & Chips are easy to make, but hard to make well, and this tiny West Village-meets-Brighton eatery (only a few barstools and a counter) proves more than up to the task. The batter dipped, deep fried cod here, while maybe not the healthiest of dishes, is a greasy, salty masterpiece. Make sure to put malt vinegar on your fries, English style; they’ll taste better. For dessert, you have to order the deep-fried Mars bar because, really, how often do you get the chance to order one?

Contact no: (212) 691-2713

Location: 112 Greenwich Avenue, New York, NY 10011

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Chelsea Piers

Parents and children with energy to burn are urged to visit Manhattan’s mega-sports complex Chelsea Piers. Home to everything from dual indoor ice skating rinks and rock climbing to America’s most technologically advanced driving range and even gymnastics lessons, the center has something for every type and level of athlete.

Contact no: (212) 336-6666

Location: 23rd Street & the Hudson River, New York, NY 10011

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New York Liberty

The right counter to the overpriced spectacle of modern professional sports, the NY Liberty, New York’s professional women’s basketball team, provides top-notch team play and solid fundamental basketball. There’s no showboating and no preening multimillionaires with luxurious shoe contracts; these women just play. Home games are played at NY’s historic Madison Square Garden, also home to the NY Knicks and Rangers.

Contact no: (212) 564-9622

Location: 7th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets, New York, NY 10121

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks play in Madison Square Garden, an enormous arena built on top of Penn Station. Located on top of Penn Station, on 33rd Street and Eighth Avenue, there’s hardly a bad seat in the house. The crowds at MSG are so lively that they draw even non basketball fans into the game. During all timeouts and game stoppages there are dancers, talent contests and other entertainment that will keep even the least attentive child entertained.

Contact no: (212) 465-6037

Location: 7th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets, New York, NY 10121

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Stomp

The British performance troupe has held their residency at the Orpheum for over 10 years, and the show’s exuberant display of percussion expertise is still loved by everyone who sees it. The show could be thought of as a tutorial on the artful banging of pots and pans, choreographed dance routines with brooms, and veritable symphonies created with only the sounds produced from matchbooks and lighters. Trash can lids become cymbals, plastic barrels are tympanis, and sleeping could prove difficult if your child takes the performers’ lessons to heart.

Contact no: (212) 477-2477

Location: 126 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10003

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Puppet Shows

New York is a city known for its world class theatre scene, and you’ll find that same talent and detail in its puppet shows. Known for theatrical handiwork is the Swedish Cottage in Central Park, an adorable cabin-like theater that feels like walking into a Scandinavian story-book. The fairy tales don’t end with the ambience, and shows like “Cinderella Samba,” have delighted patrons in the 5 – 10 year old sect for a long time running.

Contact no: (212) 988-9093

Location: 79th Street, New York, NY 10023

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NYC Ballet

You won’t appreciate high-toed pirouettes or the precision involved in an arabesque until you see ballerinas live in person, and New York is lucky to house some of the world’s finest. You may think the ballet would be too highbrow (read: boring) for a young child to enjoy, but kids get swept away in the music, theatrics, and general acrobatics involved in an average ballet performance. sons will be secretly pleased; daughters will beg you to buy them a tutu before the finale is over.

Contact no: (212) 870-5570

Location: West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023

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NY Philharmonic

The Metropolitan Opera & New York Philharmonic

Although classical music may not typically be a young person’s favorite diversion, the New York Philharmonic’s custom events for kids of all ages will at least enlighten them on how music is composed, produced, and performed, as well as get them familiar with some high points of the Romantic and Baroque periods. Two series, “Music For Young People,” (for ages 6 to 12), and “Music For Very Young People,” (ages 3 to 5) combine the elements of a workshop, where kids can try their hand at various wind, string, brass, and percussion, with performances by seasoned professionals. The Philharmonic also offers “Young People’s Concerts” and “Very Young People’s Concerts.” Accompany your child to any of these events, and they’ll probably ask you to burn them a copy of your favorite Bach symphony.

Contact no: (212) 875-5656

Location: Broadway and West 65th , New York, NY 10023

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